[Chapter 22 part 3] Rose - Aftermath

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“When I grew up, the world was still multilingual. It was often necessary to learn more than one tongue in order to get by.”

Dawn and Rose looked at each other. Where’s this going?

“Anyway, the explanation I’m about to give would’ve made more sense back then. It’s how I was taught by someone who died a long time ago.” Lily’s words held a wisp of melancholy. She didn’t give them time to ponder, raising an arm. An enormous magic circle appeared.

“Learning magecraft is like learning a new language. First you’ll want to remember the basic phrases necessary to communicate.”

The patterns of the circle changed one after another. Each of these must be a different spell.

“Later on, you’ll learn how those phrases are assembled. You’ll understand what each part means and how it fits together.”

The magic circle spread out gently, separating into different sections. Those are the building blocks.

“Finally, you’ll put sentences together in your own words.”

The magic circle morphed, growing in complexity and density. When it had finished, several complex rings were rotating in alternating directions. Lily flicked her hand.

Fire exploded from the ground. The stream of flames stretched above them then swerved down. Rose realized it was a dragon. The fiery beast raced around as it continued erupting, moving so fast that soon all they could see was its blazing form. This heat alone would roast an ordinary human.

Then it was gone, and the temperature returned to normal. Rose processed what had just happened, “So the first step is memorization. If that’s the case, do you know spells practical in the Stone Coliseum?”

“Good question.” Lily smiled.

A productive session followed. Lily was frustrated by Dawn’s presence at first but soon lost herself to teaching. Rose learned three simple spells which could be cast quickly. Not that I’ll need them tonight. They’d still be grouped with tourists.

Returning to her room, Rose saw Silver and Kate speaking on a terrace. I shouldn’t interrupt, but… Her thirst for answers got the better of her.

“Sorry to disturb, but could I ask Kate a question?” Rose asked.

“Sure, we weren’t discussing anything important.” Kate responded promptly. I feel you’d say that regardless.

“You knew I wouldn’t be upset even if we were.” Silver added. True…

Ignoring the jab, Rose continued, “do you know why there’s bad blood between Lily and Sarah?”

Kate nodded, “Yes, sort of. It’s the result of what happened with the ‘Blood Arena’ two hundred years ago.” What’s that?

“Originally Lily interfered little with the work of Stewards.” Kate explained. “She kept to her duties and let them govern how they saw fit. The Isle you see today came about through their successive visions.”

“Everything went smoothly until Maximilian Torganas. A descendant of the Norther Emperor, he craved status, wanting to elevate the position of Stewart to more than it was. He made all manners of changes, including opening the first casino. As part of this self-aggrandizement, he made efforts to socialize with all the HEAVENLY DAO’s agents. Amazingly, he even succeeded in approaching the reclusive Calin.”

“When you say ‘Calin’, you mean the former ‘greatest villain’ who lives on the Isle?” Silver interjected.

“Yes, the very one. They apparently hit it off. Perhaps it was a shared appreciation for grandiose endeavors. Their interactions revealed Maximilian’s twisted side. It’s unclear whether it was there from the start or arose from his contact with Calin. Whatever the case, the two pitched an idea to the HEAVENLY DAO: an underground coliseum with real stakes. A forbidden place where combatants would fight to the death in a ‘Blood Arena’. The concept was approved.” Wrecking havoc for entertainment’s sake… Simon is right about the god.

“Calin carved out the Underground Coliseum two and half miles below his keep, and the entrance was hidden behind Maximilian’s casino. Luscious cash prizes attracted participants, with ridiculous bets placed on the outcomes. Unknown to everyone, men and women began dying in steady numbers.”

“Events proceeded undetected for nearly a decade. Maximilian had been selective with his spectators, restricting them to the seedier side of his casino clientele. He was also smart enough to bring in fighters from the outside. In the end, though, it couldn’t last forever.”

“Surrounding countries became upset with the disappearances of their rising prospects. When the losses were investigated, the Blood Arena was uncovered. Lily was livid. The Isle’s image as a place of wonder and safety had been tarnished.”

“The Norther Emperor attempted to intervene, but Lily would hear none of it. The Underground Coliseum was shut down, and its entrance sealed. Maximilian was exiled in disgrace, his legacy wiped away.”

“Lily vowed it’d never happen again, planning on reviewing all future projects. At first this didn’t matter. After the scandal, the world appointed an unambitious consensus candidate, Wesley Marone. His cautious nature suited Lily fine, and his long tenure ended without incident.”

“The problems began nineteen years ago when Sarah Godspeed successfully campaigned to be his replacement. She was different from Wesley, who’d already given up on immortality. Unlike her brother, Sarah wasn’t born with strong ability, so she followed the common strategy of relying on fame. With extra lifespan, a deficit in talent can be made up. Sarah’s plan meant maximizing the prestige of her position, which ran afoul Lily’s new attitude.”

“While past Stewards had the freedom to plan events and make alterations, Lily had been serious in her pledge. She rejected all Sarah’s proposals, sometimes without reading them.”

I see. Rose knew the frustration of having someone above you that didn’t listen.

“When Lily insisted that ‘she quietly do her job’, Sarah saw this as a death sentence. Without accomplishments, she’d fade to obscurity. In rebellion, she went ahead with projects without approval, gambling Lily wouldn’t be able or willing to get rid of her. While she won the bet, it completely soured the relationship between the two.”

“The situation is unlikely to improve at this point. The media is aware of the tension, and it has become a newsworthy subject in of itself, generating free publicity. Sarah has no incentive to reconcile.”

“Thank you. That was informative.” Rose said.

Sympathy aside, this left them in a difficult spot. Even if Sarah wasn’t a conspirator, there was no telling when she might become one. An antagonistic Steward can’t be relied on.

“Why doesn’t Lily just get rid of her?” Rose asked.

“Before, it would’ve been possible, if difficult. Now, with Arther’s death, Lily doesn’t have that luxury anymore. If opinion turns further against her, she’ll be deposed. Sarah is popular, with strong international backing——”

Soul walked up and interrupted, “Have you seen Free around? Or Wise?”

“Free is wandering the Empty City looking for somewhere to house her plants.” Silver answered. “Wise is passed out in his room.”

“Thanks,” Soul sighed. “I guess I’ll wake him to find Free.” What’s so urgent?

“Did something happen?” Rose asked.

“Hope’s drunk in her workshop. Light and Dawn are watching her. You should join them.” Soul started off. “I’ll fetch Free. Hope is due to meet Agata soon, not to mention her match tonight. She must be detoxified.”

Could Free cure alcohol poisoning? Stop, that’s a silly question. Even if she didn’t know how, she’d figure it out using Hope as a guinea pig.

They headed down to the space Lily had allocated to Hope without being asked. Knowing Jenna, she was familiar with her needs. “What do you think she will be like?” Silver asked.

“We’ll see.” Rose answered. I’ve no idea. None of them had touched alcohol before. With all that’d happened, their prizes from Xarst had slipped their minds.

“She had a rough day.” Kate commented. Agreed.

Strands of liquid metal were undulating throughout Hope’s new workspace. She’d somehow gotten her hands on a fair amount of steel. I’ve never seen her control so much. Inebriation had done a number on her metal bending. More power, less control? Hope was at the center of the metallic web. Light was a dozen feet away, with Dawn arms crossed behind him.

“Silver! Kate! Rose! Grab a bottle. There’s plenty left.” Hope pointed to the nearby liquor.

So this is alcohol. Rose moved as close as she dared and asked the obvious question, “Why are you surrounded by razor blades?”

Hope’s eyes went wide, “Listen, they want to take my bottle.” She cradled a green flask protectively. “But I won’t let them. It’s MINE.”

Dawn walked up and whispered, “I want to freeze everything and take it by force. Light’s stopping me. He wants to ‘reason’ with her. Can you talk some sense into them?”

Rose nodded, sighing, “Hope, you can keep the bottle for now, but why don’t you start by putting down the metal?”

“I can’t. I’m practicing.” Hope peered down at a book next to her, then to the object she was shaping. After a few adjustments, she held it up. “I’m going to be a magical gunslinger.” She’s making a gun? Rose was surprised.

The idea itself isn’t bad. Jenna Crystal reached the wall by crafting and upgrading Astrolis, a giant mechanical suit of armor. It was another example of profiting from a self-made weapon. That said, alcohol and firearms don’t mix well.

“Say Rose, could you bring me some bullets? None of these people wants to help me find bullets.” Hope complained bitterly.

Rose winced. This might be more troublesome than anticipated.